Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Oxley Park

A garden digging patch, babies experimenting with cornflour and water, and communication support adapted to individual children give Oxley Park its character. In May 2026, these experiences sat alongside a clear practical challenge: making the youngest children's routines respond more quickly to their needs.

At its 5 May 2026 inspection, Ofsted judged inclusion a Strong standard, safeguarding standards met, and achievement, behaviour and routines, welfare and wellbeing, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance an Expected standard. The distinction matters: inclusion earned the higher judgement, while babies' routines and parents' involvement in assessment remained improvement priorities.

Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Oxley Park has capacity for 107 children aged 3 to 60 months, at 20 Cushing Drive in Milton Keynes. That is the whole nursery's capacity, rather than the size of any child's daily group.

Learning and Activities

The early years foundation stage sets the requirements for children's learning, development and care. In parent language, that means supporting communication, physical development and growing independence through the experiences of the nursery day.

In May 2026, babies explored cornflour mixed with water while staff introduced words connected to their play. Younger children climbed soft shapes, moved into and out of ball ponds and practised feeding themselves with spoons. These were concrete opportunities to connect movement, language and everyday independence, rather than treating learning as a separate activity.

For older children in May 2026, drawing and painting cardboard boxes offered ways to express ideas. Writing activities, colour matching and early number work sat alongside imaginative creations using dough, corks and fir cones. The materials gave children different ways to practise handling objects and representing their ideas.

Stories and songs also featured in May 2026. Younger children copied actions, became interested in familiar story characters and heard counting rhymes; older children used counting during play. Staff described children's actions as they happened, linking spoken words with something the child was already doing.

Outdoor and Community Life

In May 2026, the garden included a digging patch where children played with toy vehicles and practised small hand movements. Growing herbs and pretending to cook in the mud kitchen brought another kind of outdoor play. Children also practised sharing turns, so the outdoor space supported social experiences as well as physical activity.

School preparation in May 2026 included managing personal care and using the toilet independently. The emphasis was practical: helping children do more for themselves before moving on to school.

Relationships and Communication

In May 2026, babies sought comfort by reaching towards staff to be held, and key person relationships provided familiar reassurance. Children followed their home sleeping routines. Staff also worked with parents to change sessions when busy home times made settling difficult, showing how attendance arrangements could be adjusted around a child's response.

Parent relationships in May 2026 were productive, but collaboration needed more depth. Parents' contributions did not consistently shape the final learning plans arising from the progress check for children aged two to three. For families, the issue is participation in decisions about next steps, rather than simply receiving updates about the day.

Inclusion and Wellbeing

At the May 2026 inspection, Ofsted found that individualised SEND support helped children communicate and make substantial developmental progress, with photographs replacing picture cards where that made routines easier to understand. Some children who did not communicate verbally used writing to express feelings and learning. This gives families a concrete example of adapting the means of communication to the child.

In May 2026, staff consulted other professionals when supporting children known to social care, and additional funding paid for resources matched to children's interests and abilities. Children with medical needs, allergies and dietary requirements had support arrangements, and staff supervised eating and sleep.

The youngest children's day was less consistent in May 2026. Preparing to go outdoors sometimes took long enough for children to become restless, and staff occasionally responded too slowly when babies became distressed at mealtimes. A rapid intake from another nursery in the group, accompanied by staff transfers, had affected routines despite the changes being managed well.

Sessions and Attendance

Opening hours are 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The nursery operates across the year, closing for bank holidays and one week at Christmas. For families organising work and childcare, those closures matter alongside the daily opening window.

Getting There

The address is 20 Cushing Drive, Oxley Park, Milton Keynes, MK4 4TJ. An Oxley Park open-day enquiry form provides a route to request a visit.

• Babies' daily rhythm. In May 2026, outdoor preparations and responses to distress at meals needed attention. During a visit, ask how staff now adjust those moments to individual babies.
• Your contribution to assessment. The May 2026 progress-check concern involved parents' views not fully shaping learning plans. Ask how your observations will influence your child's next steps.
• The full attendance quotation. With an opening window spanning 7.30am to 6pm, ask which booking pattern fits your week and how funded hours, meals and non-food consumables are treated in the written quotation.

Oxley Park suits families seeking care across the year who value practical independence, outdoor play and individual approaches to communication. Its May 2026 inclusion judgement gives that last point weight. The balance is clearest for parents of babies: familiar relationships were evident, but the organisation of transitions and mealtimes needed attention. Parents' role in learning plans is the other decision point to explore.